Kaya Drive: Commuting to the office is so 2019!

By: Natasha Archary

Commuting to the office is so 2019. If there’s one thing the Covid-19 pandemic changed, it’s the future of a regular 09h00 to 17h00 workday stuck behind a desk.

Most companies have adopted a remote working structure which allows employees flexibility with their work days.

However, as things return to normal now that the National State of Disaster has ended, many are returning to the office.

This means that traffic volumes are picking up during peak hours, as South Africans commute to and from the office.

The economic implications on the average South African for daily travel, continues to rise with the cost of petrol climbing.

That coupled with the hours people spend stuck in traffic has left many looking for remote working opportunities or a move closer to the office.

On average, Gauteng motorists spend up to 45 minutes stuck in traffic daily. This can be both during travel to and from the office and in between the work day to get to meetings.

It takes most 54% longer to get home during peak hour traffic with the added stress that loadshedding puts on their journey home or to the office.

Moving closer to the office

If it’s possible, a move closer to the office might be practical which can help save on time and the cost of every day commute.

Having a shorter trip to the office may alleviate some of the stress from workers who spend almost 70% of their day at work.

Moving closer to work can mean more time to spend with their family or to focus on their health and personal goals.

Not only do South Africans clock fewer hours of sleep, we’re also the first to wake up in the world. The early hours just to beat traffic and get to the office on time can affect the quality of sleep most adults get every night.

Previously on Kaya Drive, fatigued employees shared with Sizwe Dhlomo and team that their employers don’t have a cut-off time and expect them to work after office hours.